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China plans to offer food aid to N. Korea during its worst drought in 100 years

June 18, 2015
This undated photo released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on June 21, 2013 shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un (L) visiting vegetable green houses on the Songhak Co-op Farm in Anju, South Pyongan. (Courtesy of KCNA via Yonhap)

This undated photo released by North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un (L) visiting vegetable green houses on the Songhak Co-op Farm in Anju, South Pyongan. (Courtesy of KCNA via Yonhap)

North Korea recently expressed that it is currently experiencing its “worst drought in 100 years” and China, being one of the very few sympathetic countries for the North, says it is willing to provide food aid.

The statement comes a day after the U.S. said they have no plans to provide food aid due to a history of mistrust — most recently in 2012 when North Korea violated the requirements to receive donations after firing a test rocket.

“Our sympathy goes out to the [Democratic] People’s Republic of Korea that is suffering from extremely serious drought, and it is our hope that the government and people will overcome the disaster as soon as possible” China’s foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said during a news brief according to Reuters.

“China is willing to provide the aid that is needed by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea,” he continued.

Although Lu did not elaborate on the details of the donations, it is likely that the amount will need to be quite significant given that international aid for the North has greatly fallen since the country’s last serious drought in the 1990s.

Part of the reasons include highly publicized efforts to develop nuclear arms as well as alleged human rights abuses that have kept the rest of the world reluctant to help in any form.